Sealing systems that allow a probe to access an interior space or volume from an exterior environment are known and come in many forms. In this regard, some of such systems are designed to accommodate a probe that allows the passage of a fluent material to or from the interior space or volume, while other such systems are configured to allow access by a probe that has a sensor or other apparatus for providing information about the conditions within the interior space, such as, for example, the temperatures within the interior space, the pressures within the interior space, or the condition of visual indicators within the interior space. Yet other such systems are designed to accommodate probes that can either carry a sensor or allow the passage of a fluent material or both.
Some of the known systems utilize a flexible, resilient valve. One type of flexible, resilient, valve is a self-closing, slit-type valve mounted in a port of a fluent tube or container. Such valves have a slit or slits which define a normally closed orifice that opens to permit access therethrough in response to a probe, such as a fill/drain tool, inserted through the valve, or an increased pressure differential across the valve (e.g., resulting from an increased pressure within the container when the container is squeezed, or from a reduced external ambient pressure compared to the pressure within the container). Such valves are typically designed so that they automatically close to shut off flow therethrough upon removal of the probe or a reduction of the increased internal pressure within the container, or upon an increase of the external pressure. Designs of such valves and of sealing systems using such valves are illustrated in the U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,271,531, 5,927,566, and 5,934,512. Typically, the system includes a body or base that defines a seat for receiving the valve and includes a retaining ring or other structure for holding the valve on the seat in the base. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,269,986 and 6,616,016. Other such valve systems for use with a probe or fill/drain tool are shown in commonly owned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/070,799 titled VALVE MOUNTING ASSEMBLY WITH SLIT MISALIGNMENT PREVENTION FEATURE, filed Feb. 21, 2008 and naming David J. Gaus as inventor, and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/268,814 titled PORT CLOSURE SYSTEM WITH HYDRAULIC HAMMER RESISTANCE, filed Nov. 11, 2008 and naming David J. Gaus as inventor, the entire disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.